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With the arrival of the holy month of Sawan, devotees throng Lord Shiva temples across India. The very name “Shiva” evokes a deep sense of divinity. He is worshipped in the symbolic form of a Shivling in countless temples across the country. Many devotees undertake pilgrimages to some of the most sacred shrines during this time.
While Shivlings can be found in almost every temple and almost in every household, there are certain temples believed to be places where Lord Shiva himself appeared, or where the Shivling holds special spiritual significance.
In this sacred month of Shravan (also known as Sawan), let us explore 11 of the most famous Lord Shiva temples that devotees must visit.
Kedarnath is one of the famous temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. It is located at an elevation of 3,583 metres (11,755 feet). The name "Kedarnath" means "the lord of the field" and originates from the Sanskrit words "Kedara", meaning "field", and "Natha", meaning "lord". According to the Kashi Kedara Mahatmya text, it derives its name from the fact that "the crop of liberation" grows here.
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas and is considered one of the most sacred places of Lord Shiva. This temple is located in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. The main idol of Shiva here is in the form of a lingam, which is believed to be Swayambhu, meaning it possesses its own inherent energy.
The idol of Mahakaleshwar faces south, a unique feature that only this temple has among the 12 Jyotirlingas. Above the Mahakal shrine is the idol of Omkareshwar Mahadevji. There are also images of Ganesh, Parvati and Karttikeya placed in the west, north and east of the main shrine. To the south is Nandi, Shiva's vehicle.
The Amarnath Temple is located in the Pahalgam area of Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a cave located at an altitude of 3,888 metres (12,756 feet), approximately 168 kilometres from Anantnag city and 141 kilometres from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Pilgrims can reach it through Sonamarg or Pahalgam. This shrine holds great importance in Hinduism. The Shiva Lingam at the temple is a Swayambhu lingam. This natural stalagmite forms inside the 40-metre-tall cave. The two smaller stalagmites are believed to represent Parvati and Ganesha.
Tungnath Temple is one of the highest Shiva temples in the world. It is the highest among the five Panch Kedar temples in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. This temple is situated at an altitude of 3,680 metres (12,073 feet) and is located just below the summit of Chandrashila. Tungnath, meaning "Lord of the peaks", is linked to the Pandavas of the Mahabharata.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is located in Vishwanath Gali, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It is an important pilgrimage site and one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines. The main deity is known as Vishwanath and Vishweshwara, which means "Lord of the Universe".
Baidyanath Temple, also known as Baba Baidyanath Dham, is situated in Deoghar, in the Santhal Parganas division of Jharkhand. The temple complex includes the main shrine of Baba Baidyanath and 21 additional temples. This temple is significant for followers of Shaivism as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Millions of pilgrims visit this shrine each year during Shraavana, offering water from the Ganges collected from the Ajgaibinath temple in Sultanganj. After visiting Baidyanath, pilgrims often go to the Basukinath temple.
The Somnath Temple is located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval, Gujarat, and is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Hindus, ranking as the first among the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. The exact date of the first Somnath temple's construction is unclear, with estimates ranging from the early years of the 1st millennium to the 9th century CE. Various texts, including the Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana, mention a pilgrimage site at Prabhas Patan.
Ramanathaswamy Temple is located on Rameswaram island in Tamil Nadu. This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples and one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams. According to legend, Rama established and worshipped the lingam (a form of Shiva) at this temple before he crossed the bridge called Rama Setu to reach Lanka. The temple is also one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites.
Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple, also known as Srisailam Temple, is a temple in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh. It is important to both Shaivism and Shaktism. This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva and one of the 52 Shakti peethas. Shiva is worshipped here as Mallikarjuna and is shown as a lingam. His wife, Maa Parvati, is depicted as Bhramaramba. Lord Shiva in this temple is honoured as one of the Jyotirlingas. The temple is classified as a Paadal Petra Sthalam. On the way to the main temple is the Shikhareshwaram temple. It is said that visiting this temple frees a person from rebirth.
The Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located in Trimbak, Maharashtra, approximately 28 km from Nashik city. This temple is dedicated to the god Shiva and is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. The genealogy records of Hindu families are kept in Trimbakeshwar. The sacred Godavari River begins near this temple. Many pilgrims from all over India come here to perform rituals. The temple has three lingas representing: Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma.
Omkareshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is in Mandhata, near Khandwa city in Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva. The temple is located on an island in the Narmada River, and the island is shaped like the Om symbol. There are two main temples here: one for Omkareshwar, meaning "Lord of Om" on the island, and one for Mamleshwar, meaning "Immortal Lord", on the southern bank of the Narmada River.
